1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to computer-based techniques for annotating a feature in an image. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a computer-based technique for translating and rotating a user-specified two-dimensional plane in a three-dimensional image so that detailed annotation of an anatomical structure can be accurately determined.
2. Related Art
Medical imaging is a widely used approach in medicine for acquiring images of the human body. For example, medical imaging of a patient may involve one or more modalities such as: computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and x-ray imaging. The resulting images are typically evaluated by a physician (such as a radiologist) to diagnose disease and to guide subsequent treatment (e.g., surgical procedures).
However, it can be difficult to interpret medical images. In particular, it is often difficult to distinguish abnormal features from normal anatomical features. Moreover, many of the abnormal features identified during evaluation of medical images are artifacts (or so-called ‘false positives’) that do not affect the health of the patient.
In addition, it can be challenging to compare medical images that are acquired from different perspectives or in which the patient has a different orientation relative to an imaging apparatus (to identify abnormal features). For example, many of the organs in the human body are non-rigid and have mechanical degrees of freedom (such as rotation, compression and extension) that allow these organs to change their position and shape in the different orientations. These problems can degrade the accuracy of the evaluations of medical images, resulting in false positives, false negatives (where abnormal features are not identified), unnecessary medical procedures and adverse patient outcomes. Hence, there is a need for an improved analysis technique for evaluating medical images.